In a current cellular system, generally, system information is transmitted by using a broadcast channel. The system information includes user access information, and configuration information and operation information on another channel in a cell. Therefore, correct reception of information on a broadcast channel is crucial for system operation. For example, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, system information transmitted by using a broadcast channel is classified into two types: a master information block (MIB) message and a system information block (SIB) message. A parameter included in the MIB message may be used for an initial access process of user equipment (UE), and an evolved NodeB (eNodeB) broadcasts the MIB message to the UE by using a physical broadcast channel (PBCH).
A PBCH is sent by using a wide beam in a current LTE system. A wide beam means that the beam covers a very broad range, for example, the beam can cover an entire cell. A MIB message is carried on a PBCH. The MIB message is repeatedly sent four times in a period of 40 milliseconds (ms), and each sent PBCH carries same codeword information. To be specific, each piece of sent codeword information can be independently descrambled. Therefore, when a signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) is high enough, UE may successfully obtain through descrambling, by just receiving one MIB message that is sent within the 40 ms, codeword information carried on the PBCH. If the descrambling fails, the codeword information may be combined with content carried on a PBCH that is sent in next 10 ms, and then joint descrambling is performed, until the codeword information carried on the PBCH is successfully obtained through descrambling.
With evolution of mobile communications technologies, a massive multiple input multiple output (massive MIMO) technology may be used in future systems. The technology can greatly improve spectral efficiency, and a beamforming (English full name: beamforming) technology is mainly used for a current data channel. In this case, to keep consistent with coverage of a data channel, a PBCH as a common channel also needs to be sent by using a plurality of beams. However, in the prior art, a PBCH sending solution is inapplicable to a multibeam system, because in the prior art, PBCHs carrying same information and different scrambling codes need to be continuously received on a beam of a target UE, but according to a requirement of the massive multiple input multiple output technology, continuous transmission of the PBCHs on the beam of the target UE inevitably fails. Therefore, the prior art is inapplicable to the multibeam system.